Me: *Stares at WIP on screen.*
SNI #1: Psst. Dianne.
Me: Go away. I’m busy.
SNI #1: It’s me. Your manuscript, XXXX, that you shelved two years ago. I was thinking, what if you changed me from YA to MG?
Me: That would be a major change. I’d have to practically gut the story and start over.
SNI #1: But it would address some of the feedback you got. All of the feedback, really.
Me: That’s a really interesting idea, but I’m working on something else right now. *Stares at WIP. Types a comma. Deletes the comma.*
SNI #1: While you’re stuck, why don’t you make up a side-by-side outline – my chapters as they are now, and what you would have to change to make the story MG.
Me: I’m not stuck. You’re bothering me.
SNI #1: Okay. I’ll go. But think about it.
Me: *Decides to re-read the chapter-in-progress so far. Changes three words.*
SNI #2: Hey, Dianne, weren’t those two articles you read last night pretty cool? The one about gravitational waves and the other about turbulence and Van Gogh’s The Starry Night?
Me: Who are you?
SNI #2: You know who I am. Put the ideas in those two articles together and you get …
Me: You.
SNI #2: That’s right. Remember those 4 awesome adult science fiction books you read while you were laid up? If you were to write down your favorite thing about each of them, put that list together with gravitational waves and turbulence, you’d probably have a really cool plan for a new story.
Me: But I’m busy with this other project right now.
SNI #2: Really? Doesn’t look like it.
SNI #3: And what about me?
Me: I remember you. I outlined you.
SNI #3: And then you never wrote me.
Me: You were boring.
SNI #3: Maybe I wouldn’t be so boring if SNI #2 wasn’t hogging all the good ideas. Put the turbulence in my book! I want the cosmic turbulence!
Me: Look, I don’t want to write you now. *Points at WIP.* I like this one. My critique partners like this one. This is what I need to work on right now.
SNI #3: So why aren’t you typing?
***
Good question! Why aren’t I typing?
Maybe because my mind looks like this inside?
Word count goals don’t usually work for me, but I’m thinking I need to set some this week. (And not allow myself any Netflix time if I don’t meet them!)
Go away, SNIs!
Who is this SNI? I do hope it’s not going to interfere with PT (aka WIP). I will be quite put out if it does…hear that SNI?
Good luck with the word count goals. But it is good you have some future ideas to keep you busy into the future.
They do like to nag don’t they!
I hear you! My mind is doing the same thing right now.
Please keep SNI busy. I’m out of time and energy at the moment. Thanks for the laugh. I always appreciate that.
Oh no. I don’t know how you’ll get away from them. Hiding in a farm house? Does that work on ideas?
Ahahaha! Those devious SNIs. Yep. I hear you. One attacked me while I was on vacation and SHOULD have been revising my WIP.
You’re hilarious! I love the scene and the personification of the SNIs! I’m right where you are with my new WIP, only…er…less far, as in I started the first chapter yesterday. I put off writing it for so long, I also just decided I need to set myself daily word count goals. 1000 a day seems do-able and I’ll try for more. It’s only a novella. It shouldn’t be this hard, dagnabbit! Good luck with your WIP! I know you’ll rock it! 🙂
Hi Dianne – amused us all … Mr SNI – will hold the whip above .. but you can change his tune and move him across to MG – mighty glad he moved scenario. Now to get those fuzzy starry starry nights out of the way and move them fingers – you only messed up your ankle!
Cheers Hilary
This is great! What is it about what we’re working on NOW that makes it seem so much like work? I think maybe we like the idea of diving into a book, but it is a pretty long endeavor. So it’s only natural that we’ll start getting restless halfway through…eager to work on something else.
Very cute. I’m a victim of some SNIs too. How did you get yours to shut up? I need to know. 😉
Anna from elements of emaginette
At this point in my life, I’m always delighted to still have any SNIs. I just wish they wouldn’t attack in the middle of the #%#*ing night.
I hope one of the ideas that’s pestering you is about the Tesla book you were working on some time back…
Wait? I’m not the only one whose mind works like this? Fantastic! Thanks for the insight into your creative process, and the assurance that I’m not insane.
Good luck. I think SNI #2 sounds awesome!
Cheers to word count goals!
LOL! That’s how it’s been in my head for the last 1.5 years. (Intensified by the whole pregnancy/baby thing.) I embraced those stray ideas for a good six months, and you know what they got me? Really, REALLY behind on my deadlines. *sigh*
It might be interesting to rework your manuscript to make it MG. Good luck!
Oh, those SNI, they do interrupt projects.
Thanks for this fun post!
Oh, those SNI, they do interrupt projects.
Thanks for this fun post!
This made me laugh! I can so relate.
*Stares at WIP. Types a comma. Deletes the comma.*
LOVE. Sometimes only another writer can get a writer.
I hear you on this one. Ridiculously so. Part of the problem I have with being in the plotting stages is getting all kinds of new ideas and scribbling them down and then having no idea what in the world to do with them. I don’t know what even fits together anymore. >_<
Ha! One reason I got stuck on my story was because I couldn’t decide if the MC should be in grade school, high school or a recent college grad. I could imagine writing it using any of those scenarios, depending upon the target audience I wanted to hit. Still haven’t quite decided.